Abortion measure draws gripes, T-shirt slogans

March 15, 2011

SPRINGFIELD -- They wore T-shirts that said “Women are not livestock,” but the abortion legislation they opposed advanced anyway.

The House Agriculture and Conservation Committee, which is dominated by conservative downstate Democrats and Republicans, today unanimously approved a measure that would require Illinois abortion clinics to meet tougher regulations to continue providing services.

Under the proposal, clinics that perform more than 50 abortions a year would be required to meet the same regulatory requirements as other medical outpatient surgery clinics.